Rust
producers
have appealed the fine imposed on them by New Mexico authorities.
They were ordered to pay nearly $140,000 last April, found guilty of violating on-set safety protocols that claimed the life of gunsmith Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Actor Alec Baldwin, also a producer of the western, was holding a revolver when the fatal shot went off during a rehearsal, as the gun was actually not fully loaded.
And to carry out its appeal, the production pointed out an important legal detail: Rust Movie Productions clears itself of all responsibility because they are not employers.
They argue in fact, as we can read in new court documents relayed by the
Hollywood Reporter
, that they do not pay anyone but call on service providers, therefore independent workers.
All on his back
It was in particular this type of contract that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had signed to work on the set.
The producers therefore assure that she was "solely responsible for all tasks related to the use of firearms and ammunition", which includes "ensuring that only blank bullets are used".
This counterattack on the film's production comes as the Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office investigation appears to be coming to an end.
According to the publication, the prosecutor should reveal, next month, the charges he holds in this case.
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Video
Alec Baldwin
Shooting
Western